Brownback unveils Kansas technical education ad

Topeka  Kansas officials are launching a new advertising campaign aimed at drawing more attention to recent changes in career and technical education programs.

The changes were enacted earlier this year as a way to help high school students and graduates earn certification in several technical career fields. The state is paying the tuition for students who enroll in the programs while finishing their high school education.

Gov. Sam Brownback unveiled an advertising campaign on Friday in Topeka with the theme of "Sparks will fly." A short television ad shows a young female welding student working with sparks of hot metal flying.

Brownback says the program is responsible for a 25 percent increase in enrollment this fall at a state technical college in Wichita.

Considering everything else Brownback has done, I have to wonder about the motives behind this. Discourage people from getting a liberal arts education perhaps? You know, something where they might learn to think and realize how they're being screwed by him and the Kochs.

I'd say it's another way to defer the costs his tax-free buddies incur. He can get them employees trained on the taxpayer dime. I can't say that I disagree with the idea of funding technical college on the surface. It's just that this governor doesn't have the fiscal responsibility to pay for it.

Hard to assign motive here. The President preaches much the same thing. Regardless of intent, we need the workers. The Kochs, bless their pea-pickin' hearts, employ many of these skilled employees. It's not cheap, though. Now THAT is Muscular Sam's motive in all things. His businessman jesus told him so. C-Street?

Your attitude that a kid with a liberal arts degree is somehow "better" than a kid who is a welder, machinist, carpenter, etc says a lot about you. The fact is that the machinist will likely have a better future than the liberal arts kid. I know quite a few machinists earning well into six figures.

On top of that, they earned money while they were learning and likely started with no student loans.

You are trying to put words in my mouth. I have no problem with technical schools. I do have a problem with people who put down liberal arts education. I have a problem with what seems to be the current trend of steering people into only a technical education without study of the humanities or arts.

I learned technical skills during my liberal arts education---a liberal arts education does not preclude that. I also learned how to learn and where to find answers. Much of what I learned about computers I learned on my own---we didn't have personal computers when I was in college. I worked as a punch card operator to earn money for college. I also worked at my profession while going to school, earning money to support myself.

But if I had only gone to a trade or technical school, there is a lot that I wouldn't have learned which has made my life a lot richer---and helped me in my profession. I don't want to see others missing that.

And you seem to be equating making more money with having a "better life" which seems as elitist as you are accusing others of being.